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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · roll · bear · stem · jam · charge · trunk · land

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. roll — a list
  6. charge — electricity
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. charge — in control
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. charge — a price
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. stem — to come from
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. land — ground
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com